Dressed to Impress
by Ivyskiss
Summary: Emma drags Killian to an event, for a surprising reason.
1. Chapter 1

"Black or red?"

Emma stared up at the dresses on hangers on the hotel closet door. Once again, pondering the two pieces.

She'd been fussing over her appearance for some time. First, by applying a swipe of red lipstick and then curling her hair in gorgeous ringlets and slapping Killian's hand when he had tried to run his fingers through them.

Killian glanced up at at her from his spot on the bed and shrugged. "You look equally ravishing in both of them." He paused a bit. "Although I am partial to no dress at all." He grinned at the mental image that popped into his mind.

He had taken to his place on the bed after Emma had stripped off the coverlet in hopes of convincing her to join him there. She had thrown on the silky robe he had given her for Christmas, denying the pirate a much more interesting sight than the television.

"Be serious, Killian."

"I assure you, I am quite serious." Hook leered a bit, his tongue dragging across his lower teeth with a bit of hunger in his eyes.

Emma sighed. Throwing both the dresses on the hotel bed near his legs. "Maybe they are too harsh, I could try that green one again."

Killian quirked an eyebrow at his lady. "What exactly is this soiree again, love?"

Emma sighed. "It's called a class reunion. It is a party with the people who finished high school the same year I did."

"So is it like a ball?

"Yes, well no...I'm not sure exactly, I've never been to one."

Hook hummed softly in response, turning his eyes back to the moving picture box. His mind wasn't on the television, however.

His Swan was acting strange.

He had been delighted when Emma came to him three days ago at their breakfast table, asking for his company on a trip. Just the two of them, seeing a bit more of her realm, with no monsters or dwarves or witches. Just his love and her tiny yellow vessel.

It felt like a bit of a romantic adventure.

His hopes were for a quiet dinner and a steamy evening under the sheets when she had brought him to Boston and into this hotel.

His excitement had been flamed when he had seen that she had packed several dresses, heels, and a fresh palette of makeup. She had even thrown a few of his nicer shirts in and his good leather vest, and leather pants on top of his dark wash jeans. She had even bought a fresh bottle of her perfume and gifted him with a glass bottle of something she called cologne that smelled wonderful on his skin.

As soon as he set the bags down and locked their room door, Killian had pulled Emma into his arms. Hook's hopes for a romantic evening with his love had been dashed when she pushed his hand away and explained that they had an event to attend.

"Remember the story right?" Emma asked again.

Hook sighed a bit impatiently, as he had recited it several times so far. "I am in the Royal Navy, not exactly a stretch, darling."

"And about how we met, and where we live now?"

Killian bit his lip, a twinge of the old familiar shame catching the back if his throat. It was him.

Of course, of course, it was him. Emma was worried her 300 year old fairy tale character would slip up, do or say something foolish and embarrass her in front of old friends and acquaintances.

Killian sighed, "Love, if you would rather I not accompany you tonight, I would be fine to wait here for y-"

She swiveled then, eyes wide, finally looking at him fully, with a horrified expression,"What? No! You have to come! I need you there!"

Killian wasn't expecting that response.

"Swan? What is this about?"

She avoided his gaze, looking vulnerable.

"Emma?" Killian swung himself gracefully off the bed and moved in front of her, now concerned.

She started to speak and then stopped. 'It's stupid."

He gently placed his hand under her chin and held her gaze, "Swan, it's not stupid if it is upsetting you this much?"

She swallowed, "I need you there." She repeated, a bit pathetically.

"You said that already. Why do-"

"Because it's about you."

"What?"

Emma sighed. She sat on the bed and he followed suit.

"Killian, you know what my life was growing up."

He nodded. She had been in the system, an orphan shucked from one place to the next for years. Many a tearful, late-night, conversations had taught him about what his Swan's harsh childhood. He understood too well what her life had been like then.

" When it came to school. I was always the new girl, I never had real friends, I wore hand-me-down clothes. I barely had lunch money."

She swallowed. Killian nudged closer to her and reached out to hold her hand.

"I was always an outsider, I was in three different schools in high school. I couldn't do sports or clubs. I didn't have the money for fees, or uniforms."

"I- I got teased a lot, kids picked on me, I barely graduated high school. My foster parents wouldn't help me with homework, and it was hard to ask for help."

"One day a boy who hated me...he asked me on a date once and I told him no- so he hated me. He cornered me and told me I should just kill myself because I was a waste of space."

Killian clenched his jaw, anger bubbling in his chest as she continued. As Emma calmed her breathing, Killian was reminded just how much Emma had been through in her life.

"I tried to ignore it, but it was too much, I ran out of the class, my teacher followed me out, and he hugged me and I cried."

Emma sucked in a shaky breath, she was fighting tears, This shouldn't still be so hard. Here she was, the Savior, Sheriff, a Princess, with her True Love, she had a wonderful family who all loved her and a home, still those old wounds had left scars.

"What I am trying to say is…" She hesitated, "...no one expected anything of me. They really didn't expect me to end up... "she trailed off.

Killian brought her hand up to his lips and pressed soft kisses.

"To end up happy, with someone like you."

Realization began to dawn on him.

The hair, the dresses, the vest, the curls….

Bloody hell.

"Love?" Killian spoke up finally. "Are you attempting to show off?"

She cringed hearing it out loud made it sound so stupid. "Maybe a little?"

His expression was unreadable and she jumped to apologize. " I'm sorry! It's so childish, and petty, I know, and of course, you are so much more than a pretty face and I h-"

She was cut off by a kiss. He pulled back and smirked at her startled expression.

He bopped the tip of her nose with his finger."Black."

"What?" Emma gaped at him.

"Wear the black dress, Swan."

"Really?"

"I can hardly blame you for wanting to parade such a handsome couple. "

"You're not mad?"

His smirk grew into a somewhat embarrassed smile, accompanied with a tiny blush as his hand jumped to his ear. " Perhaps I did the same thing."

It was Emma's turn to look incredulous "You did?"

"Aye. When I became a pirate. I traveled to an old stomping ground, showed off the Jolly, my crew, and threw a bit of gold around. Class and status were quite defining in the Enchanted Forest, love. And you know my penchant for revenge,"

His expression softened a bit as he continued. "Hell, if we were back there again, I would be Prince Consort to the most beautiful princess pirate in all the realms." He kissed her hand. "You best believe I would want to flaunt that a bit."

She mirrored his grin then, and hugged him. "Thank you for understanding."

"Of course, Swan. But I am warning you, if we run into the fool that threatened you, he and and I are having a chat."

She snorted a little at that, and then pulled out of his embrace to look at him with of a sultry look.

"You know, for doing this with me, I'll owe you one." She whispered, her hand teasing the hair at the nape of his neck.

"Oh, I am counting on that, Swan." his voice dropping an octave. "Especially if we keep the room one more night?"

Emma blushed a bit at that and gave him a quick kiss to finish getting ready.

Killian playfully patted her arse as she got up off the bed and grabbed the black dress.

She turned and smiled at him before disappearing into the small grey bathroom.

Hook grinned. Looks like he would get some romantic time with his Swan afterall.


	2. Chapter 2

I originally hadn't planned on a second chapter to this, but I was so touched by the response to this fic, that I was inspired.

* * *

 **Chapter 2**

"So there is a tour, we aren't going to that."

Killian nodded patiently as Emma read through the brochure of the event that evening.

"The reunion dinner-dances is being held at hotel down the street. There's also a cocktail hour, and some speeches by class officers and stuff."

"May I inquire as to why we did not stay at the same building as the event being held?"

Emma looked sheepish as she answered. "I may have splurged a bit on our hotel room. Ours is a lot nicer. When I was just starting out as a bail-bonds-person, I would hang out in our hotel's lobby, they never bothered me and I always liked it there. I would have loved to stay in a room for a night, but I could never afford the room before."

Killian said nothing to that, but he didn't need to say anything for them both to know that he understood and he supported her.

After one last glance in the mirror, Emma turned to him.

"Ready?"

Killian offered her his arm and she took it as they made their way out the door.

* * *

The reunion was close and the weather was nice, so they took their time strolling arm and arm to the party.

"You look stunning Swan. I should have brought my cutlass, I'll be fighting men off of you all night."

Emma blushed a bit, she had heard many compliments from various men in her life regarding her looks, but it always made her heart flutter when Killian said it.

She had to admit, she did look pretty good in her new dress. Her hair was curled in soft ringlets that hung beautifully around her shoulder. Her pencil skirt and heels flattered her long legs and narrow hips. She squeezed Killian's arm, his leather jacket was buttery soft, worn over her favorite leather vest and crisp new shirt. He looked handsome and rakish.

"You look pretty great too, sailor. I should've brought my gun."

"Any woman would be a fool to cross you, My Pirate Queen."

They entered the hotel and indeed, the hotel Swan had chosen was much nicer. They found the ballroom easily. There were some tables covered with displays of high school memorabilia in the front of the room. There were trophies, yearbooks and photo collages adorning the displays.

They found a seat, and ever the gentleman, Killian pulled her chair out for her. Emma glanced around, she hadn't really expected to see many people she knew, she was never great at making friends, and she hadn't been at that school the whole four years.

Besides, her best friend was sitting across from her.

The dinner was a fairly simple affair,a buffet of assorted meats, vegetables, breads, and desserts. Chicken for Emma, fish for Hook. They both grabbed cheesecake for dessert. Killian grabbed a second slice, saying he'd work off the excess sugar later that weekend.

Dinner was cleared away and it was time for dancing and catching up with other classmates.

"Fancy a drink, darling?"

"That sounds great actually."

Killian went to grab some champagne as Emma started to glance at the various displays. There were yearbooks, scrapbooks, trophies and cheerleader poms. There were photos of smiling seniors and newspaper articles framed. Emma felt a tiny twinge of wistfulness. High school had been rough on her. She had graduated a semester early and soon after had hit the streets.

It would have been nice to go to prom, to be in a school play, or even clubs. Her fingers brushed the pages of the yearbook.

She didn't get a yearbook, they were forty dollars, to 16 year old Emma Swan, it may as well had been four hundred.

Here she was, a princess, in a gorgeous dress with her true love, and yet there were still scars from her youth that made her feel like that orphan in hand me down clothes.

"Emma? Emma Swan?"

Emma turned to see an attractive brunette next to her. Her name tag read "Jess."

"Jess?"

The brunette smiled warmly. "Yeah. It's so good to see you." She hugged Emma.

Jessica had been a pretty popular person in school, she was beautiful, always flawless and never seemed to wear the same outfit twice. She was a cheerleader and played Juliet in the school play was always the kind of person you didn't want to like, but was so nice that you couldn't help it. She and Emma had sat next to each other in two classes and had shared notes as needed.

"How are you? You look gorgeous, Emma!"

"Uh, thank you, I'm great, how are you?"

Jess beamed. "I'm great! Oh Emma, I am so glad you are here. I always looked up to you, you know."

That was certainly a surprise. "Really?"

"Well yeah, you were always so, like, tough? Not like in a bad way." She quickly corrected. "But like, a bunch of guys had crushes on you, but you were so pretty and brave, no one had the guts to ask you out."

Emma was so speechless that she didn't know how to respond to that. Luckily, she didn't have to because Killian reappeared with their drinks.

"Here you are, love."

The other woman's eyes bulged out just a bit at Killian. She recovered quickly and the three of them had a nice conversation until Jess got a text and had to find her husband. She hugged Emma again and they parted ways.

Emma swallowed the drink Killian offered and set down the empty glass still reeling a bit from the info Jess had told her. Here she had always thought she had been so pathetic, listening to the awful things her bullies had told her. The words she had spoken in Camelot rang in her head.

 _I was never nothing._

Emma turned to Hook as a familiar music started to play, and people began to hit the dance floor.

"I uh, I'm not sure what to do just yet."

Killian took her hand, "Blend in."

The gesture was so much like that moment back in the ball in the Enchanted Forest she almost choked.

"And does my partner know what he is doing?" She asked with a smile.

"Aye, I think I might. A party is a party in any realm, love."

She relaxed a little as the awful hits that she remembered from her youth blasted through the ballroom.

Emma had showed Killian how to slow dance some time ago. The couple had taken to swaying back and forth to quiet music. They had danced in a fairy-tale ballrooms with an ensemble and fancy gowns and alone in their darkened bedroom with just Killian's lilting voice to make music. it always felt like the whole world fell away when they held each other in their arms and danced into the night.

Emma was sometimes reminded of the scene in Sleeping Beauty where the prince and princess danced beautifully into the clouds, her dress magically changing from blue to pink at the whim of her fairy guardians.

* * *

Emma caught sight of someone she knew and they strolled over to a much older woman. She was speaking politely to someone before she turned to Emma and Hook.

Emma took a breath, "You probably don't remember me, my name is Emma Swan, I was in your Art class."

The woman's eyes shone with recognition. "Emma Swan! Of course I remember you! You did all those watercolor paintings!

Killian couldn't hold back his smile at the blush creeping up Emma's cheeks as her old teacher hugged her.

"It's so nice to see you Miss Swan! How are you? You look lovely!"

Emma never was used to compliments, her cheeks were burning and she felt Killian's grin, "Thank you, this is my fiance, Killian. Killian, this is Mrs. Miller, she was my art teacher."

Killian gave her a brilliant smile. "Killian Jones, it is a pleasure to meet your acquaintance. You must regale me with tales of Emma in her youth."

Mrs. Miller grinned "Oh Emma is a wonderful artist. Really a natural with watercolors!"

* * *

They walked out into the cool night. Emma pulled him to a stop, bringing him in for a warm kiss.

She leaned her forehead to rest against his.

"Thank you." She whispered.

Hook pulled her deeper into his embrace. "The pleasure was mine, your highness." He smiled mischievously before dropping his voice to a purr.

"I believe I have a favor to cash in, and I would like for it to start in that indoor hot-spring


End file.
